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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097755">Something Permanent</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilRadRidingHood/pseuds/LilRadRidingHood'>LilRadRidingHood</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red vs. Blue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Season/Series 16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:01:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilRadRidingHood/pseuds/LilRadRidingHood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"If Caboose really missed Church as much as I do, maybe he should've pulled him through the damn portal like I told him to!"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kaikaina Grif | Sister &amp; Lavernius Tucker, Lavernius Tucker &amp; Agent Washington, Leonard L. Church &amp; Lavernius Tucker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Something Permanent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>	"What. The. <em>Fuck</em>. Was that?" Kai demands when they escape through the time portal.</p>
<p>	"It was an accident!" Tucker insists.</p>
<p>	"Sure, whatever. Let's just move onto someone else." She holds up the time-portal gun, but Tucker stops her.</p>
<p>	"Wait. There's another stop I wanna make first."</p>
<p>	"I told you, you don't get your pick until I get one of mine, and so far-"</p>
<p>	"This isn't about the sex tour," he says hastily. "It's… it's Wash."</p>
<p>	"You wanna fuck Wash?"</p>
<p>	"No! I just-" Tucker sighs. "It's his injury. He was still recovering when we left, and I wanna make sure he's okay." Realizing how sappy that sounds, he adds, "And, uh, maybe once we're done, I'll be less distracted and less likely to fuck up your sex dreams?"</p>
<p>	Kai lowers her arm, handing the time-portal gun to Tucker. "Yeah, okay. Let's go visit Wash."</p>
<p>	"Thanks."</p>
<p>	Tucker uses the gun to make a portal, and they step through into the hospital on Chorus. They find themselves next to the glass wall of someone's room, but it's no one Tucker recognizes. He glances around at the other patients, making his way down the hall.</p>
<p>	"All right, Wash has to be around here some… where…" His voice trails off as he stops to take a closer look at one of the rooms, where there lies a man in steel armor with yellow trim, helmet off to reveal that familiar blond hair and scarred face that belong to none other than Tucker's dear friend and mentor, Agent Washington.</p>
<p>	"Wait here," Tucker says before heading inside.</p>
<p>	He finds Wash stirring in his sleep, brows furrowed and breathing ragged. It's been a while since Tucker's found him in the middle of a nightmare like this—not since the war on Chorus ended. </p>
<p>	"Hey. Wash," Tucker says. "Wash, wake up."</p>
<p>	Washington gasps and shoots up into sitting position, looking around frantically. "Where am I?" he demands. "Where's my gun? Where's my-"</p>
<p>	"Woah, hey, it's just me." Tucker removes his helmet and tucks it under his arm. "See?"</p>
<p>"Tucker?" Wash blinks, his eyes slowly focusing on his friend's concerned face. "Oh. Hi. Sorry, I thought I was…" He shakes his head. "…somewhere else."</p>
<p>"You okay?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Wash says wearily. Then, with more energy and a small smile, "So what brings you here? Finally come to give me that slice of pizza Carolina promised me?"</p>
<p>"What? Oh, right. The pizza trip didn't exactly go according to plan."</p>
<p>Wash chuckles. "Few things do with you guys. I miss our adventures already."</p>
<p>"You know, considering the state our last one left you in, I'm a little more comfortable knowing you're in the safety of this hospital."</p>
<p>"Oh, come on, I'm perfectly fine! I'm recovering. That's what I do best. Besides, since when do <em>you</em> have to worry about <em>me</em>?"</p>
<p>"Are you kidding?" Tucker laughs in exasperation. "I worry about you all the time! You're always so focused on protecting us, it's a miracle we haven't gotten you killed!"</p>
<p>"Hey now, don't sell yourself short. We've <em>all</em> got each other's backs. Even up against impossible odds, we look out for other. And we always make it through."</p>
<p>Tucker looks down. "Well. Not always."</p>
<p>He immediately regrets saying it as the mood in the room gets heavier, the silence dropping on them like an anvil. </p>
<p>Wash is the one to break it. "Right," he says. "Not… all of us…"</p>
<p>Tucker looks up then and finds Wash hunched over, eyes glazed. The look on his face isn't one of sorrow or regret, but of… confusion?</p>
<p>"Wash, are you okay?"</p>
<p>Wash looks at him, and his eyes slowly refocus. He sits up. "Yeah, I'm good. Just, uh, remembering. About Church."</p>
<p>Tucker flinches at the name.</p>
<p>"Do you wanna talk about it?" Wash asks.</p>
<p>"I… I don't wanna get into it right now."</p>
<p>Wash nods. "All right. But whenever you're ready, you know I'm always willing to listen. And I'm sure the others are too. In fact, it might be good for you and Caboose-"</p>
<p>"No." This time, there's a sharpness to Tucker's voice.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"There is no way I'm trying to have a serious conversation with <em>Caboose</em>."</p>
<p>"Okay, sure, for most things, he wouldn't be my first choice. But… you know how important Church was to him."</p>
<p>Tucker narrows his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Everyone knows. Caboose never shuts up about him. About how Church was <em>his</em> best friend. About how <em>he</em> was sad that Church was gone. Well you know what? Church was my friend too. I knew him before any of you. And if Caboose really missed Church as much as I do, maybe he should've pulled him through the damn portal like I told him to!"</p>
<p>And there it is.</p>
<p>There's the thought that tugged at Tucker's mind at the Blues and Reds' base, the thought that echoed through his head as he watched Caboose stand still in front of the closing portal. <em>Pull him through, pull him through. We're losing him again, dammit, pull him through!</em></p>
<p>But Tucker didn't do anything either. Everyone else was in agreement. Everyone thought Caboose, of all people, had made the right decision.</p>
<p>So what the hell was he supposed to do with that?</p>
<p>	"Wait. What?" Wash blinks, confused, and at that Tucker's anger fades.</p>
<p>	"Oh, right," he says. "You weren't there. I thought Carolina might've told you. About what happened at Temple's base?"</p>
<p>	"Temple's… base?"</p>
<p>	"Hey, seriously, are you okay? You're kinda scaring me."</p>
<p>	Wash frowns, bringing his hand to his forehead. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just… need some more rest. Recovery's a tough process, you know?"</p>
<p>	"Yeah. Sure."</p>
<p>Tucker keeps his hands hovering in the air as Wash lies down, as if he could fall over at any moment for Tucker to catch him. Before closing his eyes, Wash takes a moment to look up with a strained smile.</p>
<p>	"It was good to see you, Tucker."</p>
<p>	"Yeah, you too." Tucker smiles at Wash one last time before putting his helmet on.</p>
<p>	As he leaves the room, Tucker pauses at the door to look back over his shoulder, watching the steady rise and fall of Wash's chest. Everything seems fine, but Tucker can't help but wonder if there's something bigger going on with Wash's memory—something permanent.</p>
<p>	No. Wash will get better. He has to.</p>
<p>	Tucker heads into the hallway, where Kai is waiting for him.</p>
<p>	"Hey," she says softly. "Is everything okay?"</p>
<p>	"Yeah, Wash just needed to rest."</p>
<p>	"I mean… are <em>you</em> okay? It, uh, got pretty intense in there."</p>
<p>	"You heard that, huh?"</p>
<p>	"Just a little. You did get pretty loud." After a long pause, she says, "You know, I don't mind giving you next pick for the time gun again, if you wanna bring your friend back."</p>
<p>	Tucker takes a moment to think about it—about what he really wants. But really, there's only one thing he can do. He takes the gun from Kai.</p>
<p>	Once they find a closet where no one can pass by and question the whole time portal situation, Tucker points the gun into the cramped space ahead of him. He closes his eyes, remembering his old home—remembering Blood Gulch. With that in mind, he makes the portal.</p>
<p>	And there's his old friend, alive and well.</p>
<p>	"Oh, not this again," Church says. "What the hell is going on? First the rookie, now-"</p>
<p>	"Shut up." </p>
<p>	Church flinches. "What?"</p>
<p>	"Shut up for one minute and listen to me."</p>
<p>	Somehow, that actually works. Church stays quiet. Waiting. So Tucker steels himself and goes on.</p>
<p>	"The truth is, I didn't wanna believe it either," he says. "When you came back all those other times, it never mattered if you were a ghost or an AI or a fragment or whatever. You were still just Church. You were still my friend. But as crazy as it sounds, Caboose was right. I can't bring you back this time. You're really gone.</p>
<p>"So before I let you go, I just wanna say… thanks. For saving our lives. For having faith. I know I have plenty of teammates who believe in me now, but you were the first—even if you <em>were</em> an asshole for most of it. So thanks."</p>
<p>	Tucker pauses, tightening his grip on the gun. There's one thing left to say before closing the portal. Just one word—the hardest, and the most necessary:</p>
<p>	"Goodbye."</p>
<p>	And with that, Tucker lets the portal close.</p>
<p>	Then there he again is in the silence, with one friend gone and another in a hospital room. But somehow, there's an odd feeling of peace settling over him, and he knows it's gonna be okay. </p>
<p>	"Here," he says, handing the time-portal gun to Kaikaina. "Go have fun. I think I'll sit the next one out."</p>
<p>	"You sure?"</p>
<p>	"Yeah. I'm not really in the mood, you know?</p>
<p>	"Yeah, okay." She starts to lift the gun, but stops, reconsidering. "You know, since we're already taking a break from history sex, there actually is something else you might be in the mood for."</p>
<p>	"Kai, you don't have to-"</p>
<p>	"Oh, I know I don't. But hey, what can I say? Sometimes I'm a simple girl with the simple itch to bang a bunch of dead celebrities, and sometimes I aspire to do more. Like killing dead celebrities!"</p>
<p>Tucker laughs in surprise. "What?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, you heard me! Let's go kill Hitler!"</p>
<p>	"Are you serious?"</p>
<p>	"I'm <em>dead</em> serious," she says, though her tone remains light. "So, are you coming?"</p>
<p>	Tucker hesitates, but in the end, the idea is simply too tempting.</p>
<p>	"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, let's go kill Hitler."</p>
<p>	Kai grins as she shoots a portal into the air, and off they go on another adventure.</p>
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